Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Part 1

As I have stated many times before, my husband's family is from the Netherlands.  I chose to contact UNICEF in the Netherlands to ask for a professional contact within their organization.  The information team responded fairly quickly to my request and I am now waiting to see if they can put me in direct contact with a professional.  If I am unable to make contact, I will reach out to my father-in-law and see if he can help contact someone in the schools where he used to work. 
The childcare company I work for has several centers internationally and the CEO of my company was kind enough to reach out to her colleagues in the UK and Singapore in order to help me make contact with one of the Directors.  I hope to hear something by Monday or by the end of the week. 

Part 2
For the expanding resources part I decided to look further into NACCRRA.  My husband is a Marine and I take great pride in the opportunities the military has to offer.  My company is involved in NACCRRA and provides reduced tuition for families within the military.  I would like to be more involved in this aspect of public policy and advocacy of military families.  I plan on getting a membership and hopefully becoming more active as an individual in NACCRRA.  I am already a member of NAEYC and receive their publication Young Child. 

My Supports

I am so lucky to have an amazing support system each and every day.  First and foremost, my husband, is always there for me.  He is one of my biggest cheerleaders and while he may not agree with a decision I have made, he makes a point to hear my reasons and work with me to come to the best decision.  Next, is my immediate family.  My parents, brother, and grandparents call or text me at least once a day to check on me.  They truly care and like my husband support the decisions I make . They allow me to make mistakes and learn from them while offering love and guidance.  My friends, as I have previously posted are a huge support system and are part of my immediate family.  Lastly, my company supports me in my career choices and goals.  They listen to me, take my ideas into consideration, and when I want to go to a conference or professional development opportunity they let me go no questions asked.

A challenge that I choose to would be being a working mom and going to school.  I know how incredibly tired and drained I am at the end of the day after work and completing school work, it is hard to imagine having to do all I do with a family.  My career and education re important to me but I know it would take a back burner to my children.  I love with all I have and unselfishly.  If I continued to work and go to school with a family, I would need my husband, family, and company to be understanding of my priorities.  My husband would have to help me with the children and allow me to have time to get try homework done uninterrupted.  My family would need to be there to listen to me and offer advice when I am feeling tired and pulled in different directions.  My company would have to understand my responsibilities as a mother and give me the time to spend with my family.

Without these supports I would imagine my life to be extremely busy and I could struggle to give everyone in my life the time and energy they deserve.  I would have to rely on child care and caring people to help me provide love, caring and reinforcement of values I would teach my children at home.

I want to thank the amazing people in my life, I don't know what I would do without you!

My Connections To Play

Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.

Stuart Brown, MD

Contemporary American psychiatrist

A child loves his play, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.

Benjamin Spock

American pediatrician

1903–1998

When I was younger, I often heard (and dreaded when) my father would say "you and your brother need to go do something constructive with your time."  Most of the time Brian and I went outside, stared at each other for awhile then BAM! one of our imaginations would explode into crazy games often requiring us to gather whatever materials we could find in the garage.  With those items we would build forts, castles, skateboard ramps, try to climb trees or a favorite game "Honey, We Shrunk The Kids.".  More often than not my dad would provide us with some tools and wood so we could build our own stuff.  He and my mom watched numerous plays or acrobatic shows we put on, pretended to eat the "delicious food" we made with whatever food ingredients we food in the kitchen, or sometimes just sat with us and played Mario Bros on Nintendo.   

Nowadays, I feel like kids do not get the chance to just go outside and explore their surroundings.
Kids don't know what it's like to be able to be outside all day playing tag with their friends or jail break when it gets dark, and knowing when the street lights come on its time to come home.  Children don't get the opportunity to truly use their imagination without the aid of technology.  I hope children get back to a time when it is safe to play outside all day, where play means going outside and playing and not sitting in front of a tv.  

Playing for me as a kid got harder as I got older because I would rather read a book or hang out with the adults then kids my age.  But I love the fact that my parents encouraged me to play and have lots of friends because I have wonderful childhood memories and I use those memories to remind me to
relax and enjoy life as a child sometimes.  

My favorite toys as a child....
 Books!
 Polly Pocket which I filled with lady bugs :)

Relationship Reflection

Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.
-- Brad Henry 

My whole life the most important thing to me has been my relationships.  Relationships with my family and friends.  Many of my friends became my family and I will continue to maintain those relationships for the rest of my life.  My immediate family, Mom, Dad, brother and grandparents, have been the driving force in everything I do.  They have cheered me on through all of my accomplishments, took turns in the hospital when I was sick, let me make mistakes and helped me learn from them, and have always stuck by my side. 

My family relationships have grown to include my closest girlfriends (and guys!).  My girls and I have been friends since we were young teens.  Despite normal teenage angst, boyfriends, going away to college, moving to different states now as adults, we have always stayed close.  We may not talk everyday, we may not see each other every time we are in town, but we have never lost the amazing bond we created almost a decade ago.   I am the luckiest woman in the world to have friends like my girls.  As I am writing this I am tearing up because I am unable to find the right words to describe how important these women (and man!) are to me.  We are all at different stages in our lives and have changed as we have gotten older but that has only made us stronger.  

Right now I am in the process of creating my own branch of my amazing family.  I recently got

married to the most incredible man.  I try not to boost or brag about my husband because so many people are not fortunate to find someone like I have (and I don't like to share him :)).  We have our own little family unit with our three fur babies and sometime down the line will bring a little one into our home.  My cats are there to greet me every morning and evening and keep me company when Tomas is traveling for work.  They are my pride and joys!  I dote on them as if they were my flesh and blood, they have their own bedroom in the house!  It's amazing to have something rely on you and give unconditional love.

Effective partnerships and relationships are based on give and take.  Everyone needs to be an active participant and want to make the relationship work.  I often look at relationships and partnerships as a balancing act.  Sometimes you need to carry others on your shoulders to continue on but more often than not you need to be working together.  As an early childhood professional, I think my ability to form strong solid relationships makes me a valuable asset to the field.  I am extremely emotional and compassionate, always worried about everyone else and that drives me to give 150% everyday.  You need to be compassionate and driven and selfless when it comes to working in the early childhood field.  The same goes for having a relationship. 

My parents & I, My husband and I, my girls & I

One Thing's End is Another Thing's Beginning

A special thanks to all of my classmates who I joined on our journey through Early Childhood Development.  I wish each and every one of you nothing but the best!

The Youth of Our Nation

There is a quote I found on Pinterest that I absolutely adore and wish more parents understood it...

"If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them, and half as much money."

- Abigail Van Buren

Assessing Your Students

I have always been a firm believer in removing standardized testing or at least the pressure they cause at the least from the school systems.  Children should not be measured based on their ability to answer questions correctly on a lengthy pencil and paper test.  Over the years, multiple studies have been published challenging the old school thinking that standardized testing is the best way to measure a child’s knowledge.  Standardized testing does not set everyone that takes the test up for success.  As an educator, I feel as though a child should be measured based on all of their abilities.  Allowing a child to choose their form of assessment gives them the opportunity to succeed.  Some children do well on paper and pencil tests, where as others do better constructing with tools, and other children may do well acting out or creatively sharing what they know.    It comes down to ensuring that every child is able to be successful in life. 

My husband’s family is from the Netherlands and his father was an educator there years ago before moving to the United States.  I often have discussions with my father-in-law about the differences between the education system in the United States and in the Netherlands.  At the end of the elementary school years, Dutch children take a test called Citotoets (Cito test).  The results from the test and the teacher’s advice, along with the child’s interests and abilities are “used to help determine which type of secondary education [the children] will enter” (www.expatfocus.com).  From research and personal conversations with my father-in-law it seems as though in the Dutch education system standardized testing is not as commonly practiced as it is in the U.S.  Children are assessed at the end of the primary school years and secondary school years in order to determine their next step in the educational system. 

I would like everyone to remember that you have to know your students well and give each one of them the best chance to do well and succeed in life.  You are preparing them not only for making it through your classroom but also getting them ready to be productive members of our society. 

Reference 

Expat Focus.  (2000-2013) The Netherlands (Holland) education and schools.  Expat Focus.  

          Retrieved April 13, 2013 from http://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-netherlands-holland-

          education-schools